Electrical connector having reduced contact spacing

摘要

An electrical connector includes a housing, signal modules, and ground plates. The signal modules and ground plates are arranged in a pattern that includes ground plates flanking corresponding pairs of signal modules within the housing. The signal modules have a dielectric body and signal conductors held within the dielectric body. The signal conductors include contact beams protruding from a front edge for electrical termination. Each ground plate has contact beams aligned with the contact beams of the signal modules to provide shielding therebetween. Each signal module has a lateral thickness that is greater than a thickness of each ground plate. The signal conductors of each signal module are offset relative to a central plane of the signal module such that contact spacings between adjacent contact beams are uniform. Optionally, ground tie bars extend through the signal modules and ground plates to electrically common the ground plates.

主权项

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a housing; a plurality of signal modules within the housing, the signal modules each having a dielectric body and signal conductors held by the dielectric body, the signal conductors including contact beams protruding from a front edge of the dielectric body for electrical termination; and a plurality of ground plates within the housing arranged in a pattern with the signal modules, the pattern including ground plates flanking corresponding pairs of the signal modules, each ground plate having contact beams laterally aligned with the contact beams of the signal modules to provide shielding therebetween, wherein each signal module has a lateral thickness that is greater than a thickness of each ground plate, the signal conductors within the dielectric body of each signal module being planar and defining a contact plane, the contact plane being offset relative to a central plane that bisects the lateral thickness of the signal module such that contact spacings between laterally adjacent contact beams are uniform.